Currently, insurance companies by law are required to cover medically necessary preventative physical therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis, but that can be limited by a health insurance plan’s waiting periods, cost sharing limits, treatment limits and annual caps.

“Medically necessary treatment is being effectively denied through many of these restrictions insurance companies are allowed to put on those with multiple sclerosis,” said Link. “It is unfathomable that those with insurance are not being allowed to get the care they need when they need it.”

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, more than 20,000 individuals in Illinois are currently living with MS.

The legislation would eliminate the ability of insurance companies to institute treatment limits or calendar year maximums for patients with MS who are seeking preventative physical or rehabilitative therapy.

The legislation passed the Senate Insurance committee recently and now heads to the full Senate.